Using Fono1 in the home environment of a hearing impaired child in his direct integration
Mgr. Dana Buntová, Detské integračné centrum Trnava
Following a proposal of the Integration Center for Children in Trnava a special class has been opened in October 1995 at the Nursery school in Beethoven street, Trnava.
The formost goal of this special class was, and still remains, to provide the children with impaired hearing chance for a home-style day care with pre-school professionals at the place of their residence. Albeit secondary, yet highly important goal is to seek suitable candidates amongst children with impaired hearing for direct integration at common primary school. The class accommodated along with children of normal hearing four children with various degree of hearing impediment. Upbringing and education of this class follows the curriculum of ordinary nursery school, enhanced with the parts of curriculum for hearing-impaired children in the area of speech development, hearing and rhythmic and movement activities.
Several tasks emanate for the class from the goals stated above, mainly to secure the co-operation of parents of hearing-impaired children with the specialists tending to class. This co-operation plays a pivotal role in our work.
In the example given the co-operation of parents is based on good quality equipment available at home; the child has at home a PC with the Fono1 software.
In the home environment the PC provides the child with the access to hearing education using the Fono1 program, namely the applications Sounds of the Everyday Life and Phonematic Recognition.
The application Vocabulary functions as a database of pictures, and it provides for:
- enhancement of the passive vocabulary (using commands like – Show the ball! Where is the car? Find the car!);
- enhancement of the active vocabulary (naming the pictured objects directly);
- practise the automation of the derived phonem according to selected picture;
- practise the repeating by using the pictures of selected vocabulary.
Computer work is a highly motivating activity for the child, and it is a positive element in the re-education of a hearing-impaired child.
From our professional viewpoint and practical experience we can still point out the lack of financial resources that would secure such, or similar way of work not only at the professional offices, but also in the homes of children with impaired hearing.
We are convinced that both the professionals and parents that participate in the process of the integration of hearing-impaired children would welcome such assistance to their efforts in the speech re-education through the Fono equipped PC in chidren’s home environment.